MLF Nashville Update

An update on Nashville arrived, bright and early, in our inbox this morning.  Enjoy, courtesy of Tallu Scott Schuyler, the Nashville Program Director:

Good morning! If I was a preacher preaching a sermon this Sunday I would say, Hey Nashville: You ARE the sermon! Look at you lifting each other up with strong spirit, sense of humor and humility! Look at you being church!

Your efforts to provide meals for those who have been flooded out or displaced has been incredible. Over the last three days we have made stops across Davidson + Williamson Counties, serving over 2,300 meals. Because of all the generous donations of food from local grocers and food distributors, we are at capacity with fresh foods. We are asking for volunteers whose kitchens were not damaged to pick up grocery bags of food from our kitchens, along with a recipe, and prepare meals at home. We've got disposable tupperware to go along with it. These meals are going out on our trucks daily and served to victims of the flood, as well as to those working around the clock towards recovery. A huge hanks to Woodmont member Kathy Davis who has been working tirelessly to organize this aspect of what we're doing.

Day four of our relief effort looks like this:

Today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) we will be receiving volunteers to prepare food from the hours of 11 AM to 3 PM. We appreciate everyone's willingness to pitch in, but are asking that volunteers please not arrive before 11 AM as we are trying to use that morning time to check voicemail, return phone calls, send emails, arrange deliveries and get organized for the day. We will be more productive later if we are able to spend that time in the office. Today, we need as many truck drivers as possible. Please email Margo, our Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] if you are available to drive a truck during the day or this evening.

Many of you have been asking about weekend volunteer opportunities. We will have a plan for Saturday by the end of today and plan to take a Sabbath rest on Sunday. However, we will need to schedule someone to deliver food Sunday to one location (Metro Water's Central Plant). Please email Margo to get plugged in.

For those of you bringing donations of toiletries or fresh fruit in, please let us know if you need a receipt for your purchases. We will be happy to sign one before you leave. We'll gladly continue accepting donations in the form of toiletries and fresh fruit, but because so much has already come in, they are no longer a pressing need. THANK YOU for stepping up and bringing these items in. We will continue to collect:

• brown paper lunch sacks
• sandwich-sized zipper baggies
• disposable to-go containers with lids
• disposable oven-safe aluminum baking pans
• Cheap plastic serving spoons for salad, casserole, pasta + meat

We are also looking for donations of a few bigger items which will allow us to store more food and serve more people:

• Chest Freezers
• Refrigerators

We can arrange pick-up if you have one to donate and will be happy to provide receipt for your tax-deductible gifts. Please be in touch if you have one!

If you're interested in making a money contribution, please donate online through a special Nashville Is Under Water campaign here.

Finally, a big thanks to Alan Nelson of Woodmont Christian Church who posted this video to youtube:

If you know of any area of Nashville, precinct meeting or community coming together to help in the recovery effort who could benefit from meals, please let us know.

I begin this day heartened by the stories of hospitality I'm reading in the paper and grateful for these opportunities to learn together and from one another. Thank you.

With peace like a river, Tallu

Comments

[jmacallen]

Read about the work in a Southwest Airlines magazine and brough the page home. Waiting until i had a few extra bucks.
Today the day.
Googled etc.
I looked all over the Nashville site for way to donate. Did same for Austin and finally found one. Make it EASY. PUT A BIG DONATION BUTTON on all the sites.
Great work! Congradulations.

[Homeless]

WHY does MLF Nashville never seem to use the scheduling tool on the MLF site? Other cities' MLF units seem to keep their homeless population well-informed of available food opportunities. I used to know of one "set" feeding time/place, but it quit [with no notice] and now I can NEVER FIND the FOOD!!! :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

[Homeless]

PS

Also, the MLF site states

Latest MLF Blog Posts:

URGENT Call to Action for the #Homeless! Please Help Mobile Loaves & Fishes Now!
posted on July 29, 2010 08:08:00 am

If you are going to present yourselves as a "Christian" organization, folks, let's keep it honest to maintain a positive reputation and refrain from dishonoring our Lord (not to mention the Homeless you assert yourselves to "represent"--then choose to do it in this fashion): this post was posted on MAY 6th, NOT JULY 29th!!

Keep it real!! And in future, kindly refrain from representing Homeless people (and "Christian" organizations in general, not to mention our precious Lord) as DISHONEST!!

[jordan retro 1]

I cannot tell why this heart languishes in silence. It is for small needs it never asks, or knows or remembers. Do you understand?

[coach outlet]

I agree with your idea.You look like very talented.It is very happy to meet you. Thank you!

[air jordans]

Write very well, there are some others that resonate.